Today I had the chance of interacting with former officers of Puntland paramilitary forces, the Drawiish, and police. The issue involved security sector reform bragged about by current Puntland Administration. Experienced officers acknowledged that some training and screening of rank-and-file only to satisfy payroll requirements didn’t produce able officers and commanders to lead the forces. They said that it was the core problem that Puntland forces couldn’t pacify the Port-city of Bosaso in recent confrontations and violence. Officers accepted the military doctrine that the combination of good training, effective command and leadership, logistics and public support are all that count for success. They all acknowledged that, in recent clashes between opposing forces in Bosaso, there was poor command and absence of command structure that brought about the near defeat of government forces still loyal to the current Administration.
It is also known that the Chief-of-Staff of Puntland Drawiish Forces is a close relative of the mutinying elements of the armed forces, another factor for the goverment military failure in Bosaso. He couldn’t lead and command counter-offensive against his own kinship. All accepted the fact that Puntland Security Sector reform, one of the Achelles heels of the State historically, didn’t go far enough with regards to command efficiency and required preparation of Cadet officers for military leadership.
The debating group bursted into load laughter when an officer joked: “Were President Deni belonged to Al-Itihad Al-Islami, instead of Al-Islah Sect, he could have understood military expertise better. It was hilarious.
